What can individuals do to cut CO2 emissions?

What now for the Paris climate change agreement? President-elect Trump has made it clear that he intends to trash much of Obama’s climate change legacy, including withdrawing from the COP21 agreement signed in Paris. If one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters on the planet stops taking climate change seriously, where does that leave us? And will others (including China) follow suit?

We recently attended an event in Brussels, hosted by Friends of Europe, looking at the future of energy mix of a post-COP21 world. The event was held before the US elections, when a Trump victory still seemed improbable. We had the opportunity to interview some of the participants at the event, and we put your questions to them on climate change and energy.

To be honest, the whole issue can seem a bit overwhelming. We had a comment from Gianvito arguing that there’s nothing ordinary people can do to protect the environment, because pollution and degradation are “just going to happen”. Perhaps precisely because climate change is such a huge, global issue, it can often make ordinary people feel powerless and insignificant. Is there anything individual citizens can do to cut CO2 and help avert catastrophic climate change? Or is it all in the hands of states and multinational corporations?

To get a reaction, we spoke to Andreas Goldthau, Professor of International Relations at Royal Holloway University of London and Associate with the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. What would he say to Gianvito?

I think it’s imperative that individuals act. Without individuals, nothing will happen. Individuals need to change their day-to-day behaviour, but also push for bigger solutions at higher policy levels. They have to do both. They have to adapt individually, but also make sure climate change adaptation and mitigation happens are incorporated at national policy levels.

But how radically will they have to change their day-to-day behaviour? We had a comment from Willy, who questioned whether we can we keep our current lifestyles and cut CO2 emissions to an acceptable level. So, will citizens have to radically transform the way they live?

I would say an absolute not. We can keep the quality of life that we have, and probably improve it – though we might have to change our lifestyle a little bit. But it’s possible to reconcile both climate targets and lifestyle going forward, based on novel technology that’s in the process of being rolled out. This will be possible as the technology progresses.

What can individuals do to cut CO2 emissions? Will we have to radically change the way we live, or will technology let us keep the quality of life we have today? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!

1 debate updates

21/11/2016 Do individuals still matter on climate change now Trump will be president?

We had a question from Bobi, who questions how much of a difference individuals can make in the fight against climate change given Donald Trump has now been elected US president. He argues that the main question is not what individuals in Europe can do to reduce CO2 emissions, but rather how the EU can put pressure on countries like the USA to stick to the Paris agreement.

To get a response, we put this comment to Geneviève Pons-Deladrière, director of the WWF European Policy Office in Brussels. She has recently published a blog post suggesting six steps that individuals can take to help tackle climate change, including choosing climate-friendly transportation, saving energy around the home, eating sustainably, recycling, investing consciously, and staying politically engaged. But with Trump now the president-elect in one of the most polluting countries on the planet, does it still matter?

What would she say to Bobi?

First of all, several major countries, like China, are still committed to push for more climate action. Some are highly polluting, that’s true. But they are now taking very courageous measures to try to radically shift their model of development towards a greener economy. So, China is still on board. So is the European Union.

Other actors also have a key role to play. Look at the financing system, for instance. The shift from the grey economy to the green economy has started with a movement called ‘divest-invest’. It started at beginning of 2015 with sovereign funds in Norway. It has created a snowball effect, triggering many investors worldwide to divest from the fossil fuel industries deepening the climate crisis and invest instead in climate solutions. This divestment movement has become reality and, whatever Mr Trump decides to do, a growing number of investors just aren’t interested in investing in polluting sources of energy, because coal for instance is not profitable anymore. The green economy is.

More than ever, this is certainly a time when individuals, through their choices, can encourage a shift to a green economy. They can encourage it through their attitudes towards their banks, they can encourage it through their choice of energy provider, and so on. We can do it in Europe. Anyone can shift to energy producers that are using renewable sources of energy. Our everyday actions can make a real difference for the environment and our wellbeing.

What can individuals do to cut CO2 emissions?

So… the politics we voted for once again put their hands up, basically give up and let the individuals take care of the problems.
It’s not Trump! Way before trump US Congress said this is just Obama’s idea it is not likely the Paris agreement to be ratified (same as the Kioto agreement, which was ignored by US).
And way before Trump I asked a simple questions: What will Europe do to forse those countries to improve their CO2 commissions.
Europe already have relatively low impact, the main question is not how we going to reduce our green-gases emissions further more. The question is not how to squeeze the individuals in those countries that are concerned. THE MAIN QUESTION IS HOW TO PUSH THE BIGGEST POLLUTANT LIKE US AND CHINA TO REDUCE THEIRS!!!

we should stop buying stuff from the coutries that don’t actually give a damn about the environmental problem… also we should use our feet instead that using our car when we can avoid it and when it is not really necessary… we’re become so lazy.

Erm…switch off unnecessary electrical appliances, turn central heating down, walk/cycle instead of driving……not rocket science and probably not a subject that will generate much meaningful debate…..

More relevent is “what can individuals do to cut EU MP’s extravagant wages, allowances and pensions?” …how can they justify nearly €100K wage, up to €70K pension and €4K a month allowance for phone calls, stationary and computer supplies?…..and as if this wasn’t enough they can claim an additional €300 a day “incidental expences” just for turning up…..if only everyone in Europe on a normal wage could get an additional weeks pay for just clocking in we’d all be very happy

Forget C02 emmissions I would like to know what I’m getting for my taxes (well at least only until Brexit that is)

First of all individuals should look up alternative scientific opinions and decide for themselves if it’s really us that’s causing global warming or it’s just a scam to rob us blind of what little we have.

What ALT scientific data are you talking about? Would that be the data that denies we release any CO2 into the atmosphere or the data that shows we emit 26.8 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere? The only scam is that you believe we are so insignificant that we can’t effect out planet. You now like Deforestation or Nuclear fallout or Ocean Acidification.

It’s simple…we kill the rich…and then give the production facilities to the communities that owe their livelyhoods to said facilities.
And they can decide – democratically – if they want to choke on dead air and foul water for profit.

where i do have them, in areas where the light is not used constantly, like on the stairs,they are in pairs….but i had the same affect from flourescent lights used in the past…i guess my brain wiring doesn’t like the flickering….never liked disco lightening either, for that matter…..guess it’s just the way i’m wired.

First of all: consume less. Don’t buy things that you don’t use. Buy food what you eat and what you don’t drop in the thrash. Buy things without packaging. This is the first step. If you can make it, than we can continue with lessons.

Let’s say like this: i work on a ship. Small ship. Fuel consumption is app 1 t/hr with main engine of 12 MW. Imagine consumption of 50 MW engine. How much of them are around us?
Not to mention dirty industry in Asia. Dirty industry that is producing for us on the west, but polutting on the east, so we could feel better.
What can you do like individual to reduce CO2 emission? Not much. You can use your car as less as possible, you can use good insulation on your house to save energy for heating/cooling, you can use energy-saving equipment… You can do what ever you like. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do that. But, effect will be simbolic. It’s only a gesture of good will and it’s very popular reacently.
On the other hand, you can make some difference if you buy local products. Not only that you will help people around you, you will cut coast of transportation, procesing, packing and storing big amounts of food. But, most of people will still rather buy in super-market. And change light-bulb to save energy.

DuncanNovember 12th, 2016

@Ante, I don’t prefer buying from supermarkets. But I as with many others throughout Europe don’t have enough spare time or money to get my food from farm shops or grow my own and then go to a shop to get toilet paper and so on anyway. What can individuals do to reduce co2 emissions? I’d say reject these ridiculous lifestyle employers are imposing on us to suit their own needs for very little fiscal return, grow your own food, stop using technology such as tv and internet get off the power grid completely if possible, or reduce to absolute minimum. Use a bike instead of a car and don’t expend energy without need to limit your food requirements. We could all do that, but that’s not what you want is it? Since at that point we aren’t consuming needlessly and demand for products drops off and companies stop making money and people stop taking out loans to buy unnecessary luxury items such as holidays and expensive cars so the banks stop making money too and then governments stop making money from taxing the system. So let’s stop pretending for one single split second that any of this is the fault of the average person on the street since it’s the people I power driving this destructive and wasteful culture we live in and you want to keep it that way.

As a lover of Science, the null hypothesis has an important role. The null for climate is simply : the climate changes, of itself. Those who claim that humans provide the null (man-made climate change) are not true scientists, more interested in pushing a dystopian agenda.

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